The Importance of IT Asset Discovery in Your Business

It gets simpler when you know about your assets quantitatively and qualitatively, what you have and what you don't have, this makes it easier for you to make a decision about what you need to buy.

IT asset discovery has the capability and will assist you to account all your IT assets with its easy discovery and scanning techniques.

What is IT Asset Discovery?

IT asset discovery can be defined as the process to discover and document IT assets that are on the network. The discovery processes require the software discovery tool which scans a network and identifies devices that are connected.

Multiple discovery software tools are generally used by IT asset management (ITAM) discovery to meet the requirement.

The key features and objectives of IT Asset Discovery are:

• Enhanced Scanning Techniques

• No more Mixed Assets

• Manage IT Inventories Across Sites

• Aggregate Data to Central Repository

• Schedule Automated Scans

• Up to Date Asset Information

Through IT asset discovery you can secure your database and maintain it, on all network and domain credentials; import asset details from different sites using remote scanning technique; schedule auto-synchronization of asset data; plan periodic audits and scans; automatic notifications to technicians; and periodic scan history clean-up to reduce data clutter.

IT asset discovery is all about keeping a check on active and inactive assets present in the network. It is generally used to analyze the asset cluster and identify their usage, network, and devices.

What are the functions that IT Asset Discovery performs?

It is always important to know about your assets, their details like which software is installed there in your network.

Unfortunately, there exist most of the employees and security professionals who do not know or are unaware of the tools being used on their network, therefore IT asset discovery is required.

The main functions that IT Asset Discovery performs are:

• Identify Fault & Resolve Them

• Device Management

• Asset Maintenance

• Configuration Management

• Reduce Security Risks

• Avoid Unlicensed Software

How IT Asset Discovery safeguards your business?

IT asset discovery maximizes the value of existing assets and alongside it also optimizes the network in different ways.

The key features through which IT asset discovery has proven to be beneficial and safeguard for the business are:

1. Improved Security

Through an unlicensed software, there are increased chances of malware entrance and its related harm. IT asset discovery is meant to unveil and capture these unlicensed software modules on the instant and get your problem solved halfway.

2. Prevention of Penalties

The fact is that every software is checked through various methods by the vendor to check its authenticity when it is commercially implemented, whether the software is licensed or not. Because if the software is caught unlicensed i.e., an unauthorized version then is liable to be penalized.

Through IT asset discovery, these software licenses are checked regularly for their authenticity and expiration.

3. Understanding Network Architecture

IT asset discovery method is used to understand network architecture as it will unveil many aspects of the network. It will allow IT professionals as well as security professionals to safeguard the network more efficiently. Some of the aspects are:

• Working of Cloud Environment
  
  
• Quantity of Assets in Physical and Virtual Network
  
  
• Vulnerability on Cloud Network
  
  
• Possibilities of Malwares
  
  
• Active Threats which need immediate Solution

4. Updates Reminder

IT asset discovery efficiently informs you about the assets that are installed, retired, their license status and more information to deliver you the overall position of your business network. This makes maintenance and optimization of assets easy and simpler.

5. Correct Investment of Money

IT asset discovery tells you all about newly added software, asset's lifespan, unused licenses or future requirements of the organization so that to reduce excess hardware and software costs.

6. Simplified Tracking & Report Generation

If any business has the concept of  “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD), through this knowingly or unknowingly access is given to any unauthorized devices. But through IT asset discovery scanning of the vulnerabilities of devices is possible. Therefore, the threat of BYOD can be eliminated.

Also Read: What Are the Benefits & Best Practices for IT Asset Management?

What are the Benefits of IT Asset Discovery and Tracking?

It is always good to get a complete and up-to-date position of your technology through IT asset management Software tool frame and structure.

IT asset discovery is important to collect the type of data and the allowance to make smarter decisions for the growth of the business. Understanding which assets are being used it's easy to identify the devices which need attention to minimize and prevent disruption.

Here are a few benefits of implementing IT asset discovery to your service desk:

1. Visible Decisions

IT asset discovery definitely adds visibility to the IT needs so that informed decisions can be made which are important to the organization like the quantity of replaced items or budget for the needed quantity.

Moreover, through a centralized repository of data, it gets easy to begin with the needed changes and related tickets which are running an outdated operating system.

2. Avoid Unnecessary Purchases

Scanning of assets enables the ability to uncover the number of assets that are in use or are available. It is sometimes difficult to keep capital expenditure under control even after tracking the assets you have which could lead to the purchase of much unnecessary hardware or software purchases when new employees onboard.

This lack of visibility on the devices can lead to unnecessary purchases due to the absence of data. IT asset discovery will help you recognize all the unused and used devices for proper handover.

3. Software License Compliance

IT asset discovery enables to manage software license to keep track of all registered and unregistered software that is currently being used in the organization.

There are penalties over unregistered or unauthorized software and can cost you a heavy amount. Through IT asset discovery, these software licenses are checked regularly for their authenticity and expiration.

4. Aware of Affected Assets

The employees should be aware of the affected assets, they should have a clear understanding of how the assets actually support the organization; that the assets will make an impact when the infrastructure components will be unavailable.

5. Risk Identification

Through IT asset discovery you can manage IT assets and service desk solution integration from where you can see all the assets details directly from the tickets or service requests.

Also Read: Asset Management Strategies That Can Help Your Business

Conclusion

IT asset discovery can easily generate reports for stakeholders and IT departments so, it is important for a business. Therefore, every business should start implementing asset discovery tools before it gets too late.

IT asset discovery is important to start the journey form detecting to quickly respond to malware and other threats.